Ryan Spilborghs enjoys off day at a Karaoke bar with a teammate Yoneno-san. (Courtesy Ryan Spilborghs).

Ryan Spilborghs spent six seasons as an outfielder with the Colorado Rockies, becoming a fan favorite for his walk-up music (“Sweet Escape”), myriad of mustaches, car commercials and his big hits (like his grand slam against the Giants). Spilborghs hit .272 with 42 home runs and .345 on-base percentage in 619 games with the Rockies.

I wouldn’t say I have writer’s block because then I would be saying that I consider myself a writer. I think I’m at a point where I don’t feel like giving an update on what I’m doing at this moment. Instead I feel like giving you a “best of” type short stories of some specific things that have happened to during this season:

“The day the music died”

Anyone who experiences live baseball events knows a player’s entrance or “walk up” song is extremely important to both the player and the fans. It stirs emotions for the preceding moments that follow. When you hear “Enter Sandman” you know Mariano Rivera is about to slam the door, hear the laugh of Ozzy Osbourne in “Crazy Train” and Chipper Jones would be strutting towards the plate. Walk up songs are baseball’s way of programming a fans mind much like Pavlov’s dogs to start drooling when a certain player is about to play.

A quick glance at the Rockies’ statistics reveals the importance of speed. With Willy Taveras and Kaz Matsui in the lineup, Colorado is 6-5, including four straight victories. In games together, the pair has hit a combined .284, with 18 runs and 11 stolen bases. The seventh inning provided an example of the havoc they can create. Taveras reached on a blooper and stole second. Matsui followed with an infield single. Taveras scored on Matt Holliday’s groundball that advanced Matsui to third in front of Brad Hawpe’s sixth home run. “It’s a luxury to have that kind of speed at the top,” Holliday said.Read more…

Josh Fogg didn’t want to go on the disabled list. But that became unavoidable today for two reasons: the team has lost reliever Manny Corpas for two games while he attends a family funeral in Panama and Fogg didn’t convince the trainers he’s ready to field his position and not re-injure his groin. Read more…

San Francisco — A few easy sprints, a jog around the outfield and some stretches told pitcher Josh Fogg that his pulled left groin is slowly healing. He will definitely miss a start on, and just when heâ€™ll reenter the rotation remains up in the air, but he won’t be going on the disabled list.
â€œIâ€™ll get on the mound and give it a test Sunday, throw some bullpen and see how it feels,â€? Fogg said this afternoon before the Rockies took on the Giants.
Foggâ€™s next scheduled start would be on Friday, but heâ€™s not sure if heâ€™ll make that start or not.
Taking Foggâ€™s spot in the rotation on Sunday will be Taylor Buchholz. Penciled in for Tuesdayâ€™s start is Rodrigo Lopez, fresh off his second successful rehab start Thursday night. Lopez pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Dugout chatter
â€œItâ€™s scary. It means heâ€™s due, so weâ€™ve got to get out of town. Heâ€™s going to start hitting again.â€?
— Hurdle on Barry Bondsâ€™ home run drought. Bonds is stuck on 745 career homers, 10 behind Hank Aaronâ€™s all-time record 755, and has not hit a homer since May 8.

Kaz Matsui received a huge surprise when he walked into the clubhouse. The posted lineup had him starting at shorstop with Troy Tulowitzki catching and Chris Iannetta at second. The Rockies want to shake things up. But not that match. Read more…

Eric Byrnes skateboarded through Coors Field so quickly, it was hard to remember him as a Rockie. He was shipped to Baltimore in the summer of 2005 to get Boston catcher Kelly Shoppach, but the Boston part fell through, leaving the Rockies with Larry Bigbie. Byrnes, Arizona’s left fielder, has punished the Rockies this season. Of his six home runs, three have come against Colorado, including a 406-foot shot to left in the seventh inning Tuesday.Read more…

There will be a lot of talk about bats today, with several players using pink bats increase awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

But Barry Bonds may not swing any bat today. He’s not starting, replaced in left field by Mark Sweeney. Bonds is getting a normal rest after playing the first three games of the series.

Quickly, a rehab update: Barring setbacks, Ramon Ramirez will join the Rockies Tuesday, followed a few days later by LaTroy Hawkins. Manager Clint Hurdle estimated that second baseman Kaz Matsui could return as soon as 10 days. Matsui traveled to Tucson for extended spring training and will play three innings in a game tomorrow.

Center fielder Willy Taveras had hoped to start Wednesday night, but decided to play it safe instead. He suffered a groin injury Sunday in Cincinnati, and it’s still not fully healed. Taveras hopes to be in the lineup for tonight’s game. The injury makes it difficult for Taveras to push off when he’s stealing, or to get a fast break on a ball in the outfield.Read more…

Beyond amusement, anger and adoration, sports can serve a bigger cause. With Motherâ€™s Day approaching, thereâ€™s a cool way to support breast cancer charities. This landed in my email recently and I figured I should pass it along. Read more…

Searching for answers on offense, the Rockies continued to juggle their roster. Prior to Tuesday night’s game, the club optioned infielder Clint Barmes to Triple-A Colorado Springs and recalled infielder Omar Quintanilla. Manager Clint Hurdle said the move was designed to get Barmes more at-bats in his ongoing quest to find his swing. Plus, with starting second baseman Kaz Matsui on the disabled list with back problems, and Jamey Carroll batting just .169, Hurdle hopes Quintanilla can provide a spark. Quintanilla batted .255 (14-for-55) with four doubles, one triple and six RBIs in 17 games for the Sky Sox this season.Read more…

The wrap on his back and the grimace on his face said more than Kaz Matsuiâ€™s words.

The second baseman was clearly hurting, his lower back spasms making it uncomfortable to sit, let alone walk. With Matsui showing no improvement and headed for an MRI on Monday, the Rockies reacted quickly, activating Clint Barmes from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Read more…

Kaz Matsui has a thing for Superman. The “S” decals are plastered on his car and cellphone. So far this season, he has played like him, a refreshing change from his days in New York as Clark Kent. Manager Clint Hurdle on Saturday praised Matsui’s speed, and remarked how “he’s playing with freedom, with a smile on his face.”Read more…

Rockies second baseman Kaz Matsui sat by his locker, feet on his luggage, staring at the television. One of the most greatly awaited moments in Japanese baseball history played out before his eyes as Daisuke Matsuzaka faced Ichiro Suzuki at Fenway Park. Ichiro grounded out.

“I think both of them were waiting so long to go against each other, it was a good battle,” Matsui said. “So many people were talking about it in the U.S. and Japan, it’s a great thing.”Read more…

Two things rarely seen appeared at Dodger Stadium for Los Angelesâ€™ opening day: a country singer â€“ Taylor Swift â€“ serenading the crowd and Todd Helton absent from the Rockiesâ€™ lineup. Read more…

Dugout chatter
â€œWeâ€™re doing all right. Our big theme is â€œKeep the ball off the ground.” It hasnâ€™t been 100 percent, but itâ€™s been better than the other teams so far. We can get better and we will get better.â€?
— Manager Clint Hurdle on the Rockies defense, which has committed just one error over the last four games.

Numbers of note: Padres relievers have yet to surrender a run this season in 15.2 innings and are holding opponents to a .154 average.

Dugout chatter
â€œWhen heâ€™s effective, he repeats his delivery, he throws strikes, he works quick and gets ahead of the count. The gameâ€™s he didnâ€™t pitch well (in spring training), he didnâ€™t have command, the ball was up in the zone and he didnâ€™t have any command of his secondary pitches.â€?
— Manager Clint Hurdle on rookie Jason Hirsh, who makes his Rockies debut tonight.

Number of note: Padres starter Greg Maddux has 12 career wins against the Rockies. Just two pitchers have more â€“ Randy Johnson with 14, and Jason Schmidt with 13.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.